Most virtual assistant relationships that struggle don’t fail because of skill. They fail because the first week was vague. A short, written delegation brief fixes that. It turns “can you help with my inbox and books?” into a clear set of tasks, tools, boundaries, and results. This guide covers what belongs in the brief and gives you a template to fill in.
Why a written brief beats a kickoff call alone
A call is useful, but it leaves nothing to refer back to. A brief gives your VA a single reference they can check at 9 p.m. when you are offline. It also forces you to decide things you have been carrying in your head, such as which clients get an instant reply and what you will never let anyone send without approval.
Keep it to one or two pages. If it runs longer, you are probably writing process documents, which can come later.
The five parts of a good brief
- Tasks: what the VA owns, what they only assist with, and what stays with you
- Tools: the software involved and how you use it
- Access: which accounts they need and at what permission level
- Communication cadence: when and how you talk
- Success measures: how you will both know it is working
Part 1: Tasks
List tasks in three groups so there is no guessing about authority:
- Owns: the VA handles it start to finish (for example, scheduling meetings, filing receipts)
- Drafts for approval: the VA prepares it and you review (client replies, invoices, social posts)
- Stays with you: decisions about pricing, hiring, legal matters, or anything involving sensitive client relationships
For each task, note the frequency, the volume you expect, and a link or example of what “good” looks like. If you are delegating email, our guide on delegating email and calendar management goes deeper on rules and delegation levels.
Part 2: Tools
Write down every tool the VA will touch, plus the one thing they most need to know about each. For example: “Gmail: label VIP senders; never archive anything from my accountant.” Include your calendar, accounting software, project tracker, shared drive, and any scheduling links.
If a tool has a quirk, such as a color-coding system only you understand, explain it here. Ten minutes of notes saves hours of corrections.
Part 3: Access
Give the minimum access needed, and give it safely:
- Use a password manager’s sharing feature rather than texting or emailing passwords
- Use delegate access for email and calendar where the platform supports it, instead of sharing your login
- Create limited roles in accounting and payment tools, such as view-only or bookkeeper permissions
- Turn on two-factor authentication and decide who receives the codes
- Record what you granted and the date, so you can revoke it cleanly later
Start narrow and widen as trust grows. Removing access when an engagement ends should take minutes, not a scavenger hunt.
Part 4: Communication cadence
Decide the rhythm before problems appear:
- Daily: a short end-of-day note (done, in progress, questions), or a shared task board updated daily
- Weekly: a 15 to 20 minute check-in to review priorities and feedback
- Urgent: one channel for time-sensitive items, and a definition of urgent
- Response times: how quickly each of you will reply during working hours
- Availability: time zone, working hours, and planned time off
Name a backup plan for when the VA is out. If you work with a team or provider rather than an individual, coverage is often built in, which is one reason owners compare options in our retainer vs. hourly breakdown.
Part 5: Success measures
Pick three to five measures tied to the tasks, and set a review date, usually at 30 and 90 days. Examples:
- Inbox triaged by a set time each day
- Meeting requests scheduled within one business day
- Receipts categorized weekly, with fewer than a set number of corrections
- Hours saved for you, estimated each week
- Rework rate: how often you have to fix or redo something
Measures keep feedback specific. “The inbox is cleared by 10 a.m.” is easier to act on than “it feels slow.”
Fill-in template
Copy this into a document and complete each line.
Role summary: [One sentence on why you are delegating and what outcome you want]
Tasks the VA owns: [Task, frequency, expected volume, example of good]
Tasks the VA drafts for my approval: [Task, who approves, turnaround]
Tasks that stay with me: [List]
Tools and accounts: [Tool, purpose, key rule or quirk]
Access granted: [Account, permission level, date granted, how shared]
Never do without asking: [e.g., send money, delete records, contact certain clients]
Daily update: [Format, time, channel]
Weekly check-in: [Day, time, length, agenda]
Urgent contact method and definition: [Channel and what counts]
Working hours and time zone: [Details, plus time off and backup]
Success measures: [3 to 5 measures]
Review dates: [30-day and 90-day]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Briefing everything at once. Start with two or three tasks and add more after the first review.
- Skipping examples. One sample of a good reply or a correctly filed receipt beats a paragraph of description.
- Leaving out the “why.” A VA who understands your priorities makes better judgment calls.
- Never updating the brief. Revisit it at each review; it should change as the work does.
Next steps
Fill in the template today, even roughly, and share it before your VA’s first day. If you are still choosing who to work with, start with our guide to hiring a virtual assistant. When you are ready to hand off work with a clear brief in hand, contact Deskhand to talk through which tasks to delegate first.